Neck and spinal injuries have plagued man throughout history. Rehabilitation has always been difficult and often the exercises, devices, and apparati cause more damage to the effected and surrounding areas than actual healing and strengthening. Many devices, machines, and apparati have been developed over the years that would only offer specific directional resistance and be limited to only a certain amount or type of tension. Further, the patient would most often need to travel to and from their place of rehabilitation thereby resulting in many missed therapy sessions. Even if a person had a proper machine in their home, the need exists for that person to exercise away from home also. Therefore, there became an urgent need for a portable exercise device that could provide exercise and adjustable resistances in every direction and motion necessary, including moving ones head from side to side, forward and backward, and rotating from left to right and right to left. Further, there became an urgent need for the ability to monitor, analyze, and adjust the tension. Even further, there became an urgent need to make a device that could be easily disassembled, transported, and reassembled.
The applicant's previous patented apparatus (U.S. Pat. No. 7,468,019) is a device that can be used at home. However it is not sufficiently portable. All previous devices are either too cumbersome, or too complicated.
Previous devices and apparati that do not incorporate the novel features of the instant invention that are within the field include the following:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,152,857
This apparatus is not intended for rehabilitation of the cervical spine, and is difficult to transport.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,789,154
This apparatus is not intended for rehabilitation of the cervical spine, the force needed is provided by other body parts of the user, therefore a person without arms cannot use this device, there is no measurement or calibration of restive/muscle strength, it cannot be used following neck trauma, and it can be dangerous to the cervical spine.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,333
This apparatus does not offer measurement or calibration of restive/muscle strength, the force needed is provided by other body parts of the user, therefore a person without arms cannot use the device, and the cervical spine cannot be exercised independently.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,893,808
This apparatus is only for use within a clinic and under supervision, it is used only for diagnostic purposes and not as an exercise machine, it needs electrical wiring, actuators, and counterweights to be operational, and offers limited freedoms of movement.